Freedom
by PhoenixTears21
Summary: "what's the opposite of freedom" chopper asker looking over the crew with curious innocent (but not that innocent) eyes. The crew was silent waiting for an answer. . .


"What's the Opposite of Freedom"?

The little innocent question came out of nowhere. The whole crew from Zoro to Brook where on the deck lounging around doing nothing (and everything at the same time their own little definition of nothing from slightly dozing to softly singing).

Everyone turned to Chopper at the unexpected question that broke the silence. His wide brown eyes looked up curiously as he glanced over to the crew. The question was an innocent one but painful memories mixed with many happy ones welled up in the moment of silence. There was no answer as the many thoughts and memories of lost freedom flew to the front of their minds.

A mother sacrificing herself for her daughters against tyranny.

A little girl that never got to fight for her dreams, but had someone to carry them.

An old shipwright persecuted for his past deeds.

An island destroyed over a kept secret.

A Quack doctor who never got what he deserved.

A missing leg on a gruff old man.

A mother dead and a father at sea.

A cheerful crew that didn't deserve the sickness that overtook them.

And a trio of brother persecuted and killed with only one left.

The answer had too many connotations behind it to have one answer.

". . . . . "

"The World"

The answer was not an expected one.

Luffy turned to his crew a small bright but only slightly bitter smile on his lips "the world that is the opposite of freedom"Lluffy turned toward the sky his eyes in the distant past of brothers one long lost and the other a burning ache on his heart. He thought of the freedom of childhood as he jumped up on the sunnys figurehead and sighed happy staring onto the sea then started laughing it started off full on joy but soon turned morose. Chopper stared warily as Luffy stopped and turned to him the sun shining brightly in the background. "It just seemed kind of ironic to me" turning away with a reminiscent smile Luffy continued "that both my brothers were killed by the world fighting for their own freedom"

No one bothered to question it to overcome by their own thoughts to remark the truth of that answer hit them hard as they thought of all the people fighting for freedom only to be struck down by the world government. A cold somber silence overtook the crew as they dispersed to the sleeping cabins.

(But when Luffy was on watch that night no one said anything as they all went onto the deck trading stories and laughing themselves to sleep to wipe away the bitter memories and let the joy filled ones remain.)

* * *

Luffy broke away from the crew now swapping happy stories of their childhoods to duck into the kitchen out of Sanjis view. He dug in the cabinets for once not looking for food.

Luffy stared down at the three sake cups in his hand. He grabbed an unopened bottle of sake and slipped around his cheerful crew.

Climbing onto the figurehead of the sunny he set his objects down and stared into the ocean. He turned his eyes to the bottle sake letting the moonlight guide his way he picked it up. A grin that seemed almost too big for his face broke out and he toasted the air and downed the drink in one gulp. Turning to the last two cups he lifted them up.

But didn't drink.

"Brothers." A bittersweet smile turned joyful as luffy though back to a long ago promise as he continued talking to the memories in his head and heart

"That's what they said brothers forever. . . ." A long ago promise that was never broken

"Both killed trying to obtain freedom" freedom that they so deserved but never got

"One to escape the life planned out for him and the other to escape his father's blood, and the shackles that came with it" the burdens that came with those words fell into the ocean as Luffy remembered his brothers _his brothers._

His grin turned wider as he poured the last two cups into the ocean.

"For my brothers" a promise made as children over stolen sake.

"Who finally got the freedom they deserved" The freedom from being persecuted from the world.

Luffy grabbed the three empty cups and poured the rest of the Sake in the ocean, letting the empty bottle fall behind it. He slipped back into the kitchen to put up the three now empty sake cups. He opened the door to the kitchen only to be met with Sanjis angry black boot. Blond hair flashed as Luffy was dragged back to the proceeding snarling angrily that luffy was probably stealing food (well he was in the kitchen- he couldn't resist a few nibbles!). Contentment flooded luffy as the widest grin he had ever made glowed from his face, This _this_ was his family his crew his precious people he followed Sanji happily back to the makeshift circle the Strawhats made on the deck. Zoro raised on lazy eyebrow as he budged over to make room for his rubber captain.

* * *

Thank you for reading this was just a drabble one-shot that came into my head. I was reading some fanfiction by akurosa who is awesome and makes the best emotion filled drabbles i recommend reading those if you liked this! She inspired me to make this. And my other story.


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